Apr 25, 2008 1:48 am US/Pacific
Suspect Leads Police On High-Speed Chase
LOS ANGELES
A man led police on a dangerous, high-speed chase over streets and through an accident scene on a South Los Angeles freeway Thursday night, while occasionally tossing out clumps of marijuana from a car window authorities said.
The incident started when a Los Angeles police Vice Unit saw the suspect driving erratically in a erratically at Western and Vernon avenues around 10:05 p.m., according to Lt. Christian Hansen of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Station.
The driver did not yield to police, which triggered a chase, Hansen said.
Because of the man's irregular driving, police initially thought the suspect was drunk. However, they soon realized the man was throwing "big leafy hunks of marijuana all over the city," Hansen said.
Police following the chase found at least four batches of marijuana that the suspect tried to dispose of during the chase, he said.
The chase continued at high speeds -- up to 85 mph, according to local broadcast reports -- on streets and through red lights, stop signs and intersections, Hansen said.
No accidents occurred during the pursuit.
The chase became "extremely dangerous" when the suspect drove southbound on the Harbor (110) Freeway and weaved his way through the scene of an active freeway accident -- dodging firefighters on foot and police cars, he said.
The pursuit finally ended around 10:20 p.m. in the 200 block of 111th Street, near Main Street, in South Los Angeles when the suspect exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Moments later, police apprehended the man in the backyard of a residence, Hansen said.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, will face felony charges for evading police, multiple counts of moving violations, and a narcotic charge, Hansen said.
No one was injured during the pursuit, Hansen said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
